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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Dawson, Georgia » National Peanut Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #322815
Research Project: Postharvest Systems to Assess and Preserve Peanut Quality and Safety

Location: National Peanut Research Laboratory

Title: Effect of curing time on moisture content and mechanical properties of peanut pods

Author
item MENG, GUAN - Shenyang Agricultural University
item BAOQUAN, ZHAO - Shenyang Agricultural University
item LIANXING, GAO - Shenyang Agricultural University
item Butts, Christopher - Chris
item YONGZHE, SHEN - Shenyang Agricultural University
item ZHIXIA, LIU - Shenyang Agricultural University

Submitted to: International Agricultural Engineering Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/23/2015
Publication Date: 6/1/2015
Citation: Meng, G., Baoquan, Z., Lianxing, G., Butts, C.L., Yongzhe, S., Zhixia, L. 2015. Effect of curing time on moisture content and mechanical properties of peanut pods. International Agricultural Engineering Journal. 2(2):1-8.

Interpretive Summary: Tests were conducted to measure the compressive properties of peanut pods during windrow drying. These data are needed to study how peanuts are damaged during threshing and post harvest handling. The force required to break the peanut pods was measured in three different directions: a) positive - lying on its side with the suture line parallel to the loading plate, b) lateral- lying on its side with the suture line perpendicular to the loading plate, and c) vertical – standing on end. The force required to crack the pods ranged from 38 pounds in the positive direction to 7 pounds in the lateral direction.

Technical Abstract: In order to study the damage mechanisms of peanut pods and kernels during picking up and picking, and determine the optimal harvest time by two-stage, peanut samples were taken from the western of Liaoning Province, and the peanut plants just being dug out were put in the field curing for 7~8 days, the moisture content and the mechanical compressive properties of peanut shells, pods and kernels accompanying the change of curing days were measured .The moisture content of the peanut shells and kernels dropped rapidly with the extension of curing time in the early time, and then slowed down, finally settled from 9% to 11%. The compressive strength and the elastic modulus of peanut pods under three loading directions changed together with the moisture content, and a descending order of the compressive strength and the elastic modulus under 3 loading directions was: lateral pressure, positive pressure and vertical pressure. The optimal curing days before picking up was preliminarily determined to be 3~5d, and the moisture content of peanut plant reduced to 10%~20%, the compressive strength of peanut pods under positive pressure, vertical pressure and lateral pressure were still 110~170'45~60 and 30~45N. The above study results could be known as the important references to design peanut pickup and picker.